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From life’s journeys, small souvenirs shine….

I was strolling through the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, a crowded movable feast of everything from antiques to fake Rolex watches, when I saw her. Maybe I noticed her patchwork colored face and dark brown eyes because I was missing my puppy, as I often do when I’m on the road. Or maybe because the idea of a Westie pop portrait was so incongruous. Do they even have Westies in Thailand? Sweet brown mongrels are more the norm. I made a beeline to the artist’s booth, and while Ton didn’t speak English, he smiled when I showed him a picture of Ruby on my phone, and sold me his painting for $7 in Thai baht. He even signed it for me. I wondered where he had found his inspiration; I knew where I found mine.

Here's the real Ruby Westie girl

Read more about the small treasures we appreciate the most in this Boston Globe round up.